Leadership is all about having faith in the strengths of colleagues, believes Australia’s talismanic captain Pat Cummins, who is busy promoting his new book after being forced out of the Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury. At the age of 28, Cummins became Australia’s 47th Test captain and since then he has led his country to the 50-over World Cup and the World Test Championship triumph apart from retaining the Ashes and regaining the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy just last month.

The 31-year-old, who has 503 international wickets across formats with 294 in Tests alone, donned the hat of an interviewer to speak to 11 achievers-cum-leaders from around the world for his new book ‘Tested: The remarkable power of resolve’ published by Harper Collins.

Asked about his idea of leadership and to what extent should the captain assert his authority, Cummins told PTI: “The best leaders I’ve played under always made me feel empowered, brought the best out of myself and made me feel a sense of freedom.

“I think it’s important to lean into the individual strengths of each team member rather than trying to make everyone assimilate,” the pacer further stated.

While he has a handsome USD two million-plus contract with IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom he captained last year in the cash-rich league, the traditional format remains his No.1 priority.

This despite the fact that more and more cricketers are veering towards a freelance career in T20 leagues.

“I love Test cricket so much so its always been an easy decision to keep that as my number one priority. Especially in Australia, we are lucky to have Test cricket so well-supported.” Cummins also spoke about the respect he has for his fellow speed merchants Indian talisman Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada of South Africa.

“Those two guys (Bumrah and Rabada) are bowlers I enjoy watching and admire. They have been taking wickets consistently for many years and we’ve had some wonderful contests.” Talking about the book, Cummins also revealed the process he followed while deciding the list of interviewees for his new book.

“I started with a list of people I knew and admired and whose life stories exemplified resilience, leadership and the power of resolve,” he said.

“Then, over a number of months, I engaged in conversations with eleven extraordinary individuals, including Indian entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee.” The book also touches upon decision-making in leadership positions across various walks of life.

“The conversations explore how decision-making and perseverance shape personal and professional journeys.

“Also a unifying quality among these diverse figures is their ability to navigate significant challenges and crises, emerging with profound insights and strength.” “This shared attribute of resilience and the capacity to transform adversity into opportunity connects these individuals, offering valuable lessons on leadership and personal growth,” he concluded.

SRH Schedule IPL 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad will be entering the new Indian Premier League season hoping to go one better, after finishing runners-up in IPL 2024. Led by Pat Cummins, the men in orange and black looked rejuvenated in 2024, with the opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma proving to be the deadliest opening pair in the tournament. Those three, alongside Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Reddy, form a strong core retained by SRH. They also boosted their roster in the IPL 2025 mega auction with the acquistions of Mohammed Shami and Ishan Kishan among others.

Here is Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2025 schedule in full:

SRH vs RR – 3:30 PM IST –  March 23 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

SRH vs LSG – 7:30 PM IST – March 23 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

DC vs SRH – 3:30 PM IST – March 30 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

KKR vs SRH – 7:30 PM IST – April 3 – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

SRH vs GT – 7:30 PM IST – April 6 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

SRH vs PBKS – 7:30 PM IST – April 12 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

MI vs SRH – 7:30 PM IST – April 17 – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

SRH vs MI – 7:30 PM IST – April 23 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

CSK vs SRH – 7:30 PM IST – April 25 – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

GT vs SRH – 7:30 PM IST – May 2 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

SRH vs DC – 7:30 PM IST – May 5 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

SRH vs KKR – 7:30 PM IST – May 10 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

RCB vs SRH – 7:30 PM IST – May 13 – M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

SRH vs LSG – 7:30 PM IST – May 18 – Ekana Stadium, Lucknow

Australia have suffered a massive headache ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, with as many as four star players – originally part of their 15-man squad – set to be ruled out of the tournament. The chief absentee among them is captain Pat Cummins, who has not been able to recover in time from an injury suffered during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Former Indian cricketer, now a reputed commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar has elaborated that it is Cummins the leader that Australia will miss the most.

Manjrekar spoke about Cummins’ absence on Star Sports ahead of the Champions Trophy.

“It’s a big loss and I would say it’s a bigger captaincy loss. You saw the captaincy quality that he has. He has become a really good captain tactically. The old Australian aggression, the meanness with which they played, has returned. So Australia will miss the captain Pat Cummins. They have many capable bowlers in the reserves,” Manjrekar said.

Alongside Cummins, Australia will also miss the services of fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood and all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis.

Hazlewood suffered a hip injury during the third Test against India, and has not been able to recover. Injury has also ruled out Mitchell Marsh from the tournament.

On the other hand, Stoinis shockingly announced his retirement from ODI cricket altogether just two weeks before the start of the Champions Trophy.

However, Manjrekar believes that the 2023 World Cup winners will still be the firm favourites to lift the Champions Trophy 2025.

“I see them being the No. 1 team. The team that could challenge them is maybe England, and after that South Africa. However, in this whole Champions Trophy that has many champion teams, Australia looks the best team,” Manjrekar stated.

Australia have been placed into the same group as England and South Africa, as well as Afghanistan, meaning that only two of those four teams will make the semi-final stage.

Australia have the chance to create history during the Champions Trophy. Should they win the tournament, they will become the first-ever team to hold the World Cup, Champions Trophy and World Test Championship titles at the same time.

Australia will also become the record winners of the Champions Trophy should they lift the cup in 2025, having previously won it in 2006 and 2009.

Expected to be led by either Steve Smith or Travis Head in Pat Cummins’ absence, Australia will play their first game against England on February 22.

Australia’s bid to win the Champions Trophy was a dealt a major setback Wednesday with their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood all ruled out. Cummins (ankle) and Hazlewood (side and calf) were always unlikely to play, but Starc has also withdrawn for personal reasons. Steve Smith will captain the team after standing in for Cummins during their two-Test thrashing of Sri Lanka this month. The 15-man squad is also without all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who retired from the 50-over game last week, and Mitchell Marsh who was previously omitted with a back issue.

“The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months. 

“A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy,” he added. 

“We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”

Starc was the only member of the “Big Three” fast bowling attack to play all seven Tests against India and Sri Lanka across the current Australian summer.

Bailey said he respected Starc’s decision, with the reasons for his withdrawal to remain private.

“Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia,” he said. 

“His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”

Starc will also miss the two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo later Wednesday.

The loss of Australia’s long-time pace attack has opened the door for the likes of Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis.

Aaron Hardie takes over as the seaming all-rounder while emerging leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was included to complement Adam Zampa.

The eight-nation Champions Trophy, between February 19 and March 9, will be played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

File image of Virat Kohli and Nathan Lyon.© AFP

Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, with the series poised at 1-1. With games in Melbourne and Sydney to come, many even fancied India to win the series. However, the comeback of a certain player for the final two Tests swung the tide in favour of the hosts, leading to a 3-1 series win in the end. That player was pacer Scott Boland. Looking back, Ashwin felt that had Boland not played, India would’ve won the series.

Boland took 21 wickets in three Tests in the series, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker. He starred, in particular, in the final Test, picking up 10 wickets and being named the ‘Player of the Match’.

Ashwin deduced that Josh Hazlewood‘s injury, which allowed Boland to come back into the side for the final two Tests, was a blessing in disguise.

“Everyone said that Pat Cummins had a great series, but he struggled against left-handers. Australia were lucky that Scott Boland came into the team. If Boland hadn’t played, India would’ve won the series,” Ashwin said, speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.

“No offence to Josh Hazlewood; he’s a fantastic bowler. But if they continued with the same attack, we would’ve won. Boland’s round-the-wicket deliveries to our left-handers were a major factor,” Ashwin added.

India’s batting lineup in Test cricket is packed with left-handers in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Boland dismissed Jaiswal and Pant a couple of times in the series, whilst also regularly feasting on Virat Kohli‘s wicket.

At 35, Boland may already be at the business end of his career, but has made himself a real contender to break into Australia’s famed pace trio for good. In 13 Tests, Boland has taken 56 wickets at an astonishing average of just 17.66.

Team Sri Lanka in action© AFP

An injury concern looms over Australian skipper Pat Cummins ahead of next month’s Champions Trophy with the pacer set to undergo a scan on his “sore ankle”, and chairman of selectors George Bailey refusing to confirm his availability for the marquee event. Cummins has been troubled by the ankle issue throughout the Australian summer but managed to guide his team to a 3-1 victory over India in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Test series recently. Bailey did not commit whether Cummins was a certainty for the Champions Trophy, starting on February 19.

“Not really sure yet, we’ll have to wait and see where that scan comes back and where it’s tracking,” he told ‘nine.com.au’.

Australia announced its squad for the two-Test away series against Sri Lanka with several stalwarts, including Cummins, missing from the list. The team, made up mostly of fresh faces, will be captained by top-order batter Steve Smith.

“Pat’s obviously on paternity leave for the next little bit,” Bailey was quoted a saying on Thursday.

“There’s a little bit of work to do, he’s got a little bit of a sore ankle as well so I think in the next week or so he’s got a scan coming there and we’ll get a bit more information around where that’s at,” he added.

Bailey though expressed confidence that pacer Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide due to a left side injury and missed the last two games as well due to a calf strain, would be fit for the Champions Trophy.

“He’s working really hard, and all the news on how he’s responding to the calf injury is coming along really well.

On Hazlewood not featuring in the Sri Lanka-bound squad, Bailey said, “It was just probably a little bit tight (for this squad) given the amount of time he would’ve missed and again looking how we potentially may structure up those loads those quicks may be put under.

“It just worked out that unfortunately for him he didn’t quite get there in time (for Sri Lanka Tests) but really confident he should be fit and raring to go for the Champions Trophy,” added Bailey.

A month of riveting Test match action to cap off 2024 has come to an end, with some notable standout performances during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Test series between South Africa and Pakistan. Australia skipper Pat Cummins, star India bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and South Africa right-arm seamer Dane Paterson have been nominated for the December’s Player of the Month award on Tuesday following their exceptional performance for the national team throughout the month.

Pat Cummins (Australia):

The Australia skipper delivered standout performances with both ball and bat during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, guiding his team to secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 Final, set for June.

Cummins showcased his fine form by claiming 17 wickets across three Tests against India at an impressive average of 17.64. His best bowling performance came in Adelaide, a sensational 5/57, which helped the hosts secure a commanding 10-wicket victory.

In addition to his bowling exploits, Cummins contributed with the bat, with crucial knocks of 49 and 41 in Melbourne. He also picked up 6 wickets in the match as Australia secured another important win.

Jasprit Bumrah (India):

Jasprit Bumrah was India’s best performer in Australia, also winning the Player of the Series award for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah claimed 22 wickets in the three Tests in December at a phenomenal average of 14.22. His standout spells included nine wickets in both the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests, which played a pivotal role in keeping India in competition throughout the series.

These remarkable performances also earned Bumrah the highest rating points by any Indian bowler in the ICC Test Player Rankings.

Dane Paterson (South Africa):

South Africa secured their place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 Final, with the help of brilliant performances from seamer Dane Paterson.

His prolific bowling efforts against Sri Lanka and Pakistan were crucial in the Proteas’ successful campaign.

Paterson took 13 wickets in two Tests at an average of 16.92. His figures of 5/71 against Sri Lanka and 5/61 against Pakistan played a key role in South Africa’s victories, ensuring their qualification for the WTC25 Final.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has come to the defence of Sam Konstas following recent scrutiny of his on-field conduct during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. In the post-match press conference, Cummins discussed the role of the ICC and match officials in setting the rules and the standard for conduct, making it clear that the team respected those decisions, even if they did not always agree with them. “I think, first of all, obviously ICC and Andy Pycroft set the rules and set the punishments. You know, we saw that in Melbourne with Virat [Kohli], 20 per cent. That’s what they thought. So, it doesn’t really matter what we think. They set the rules. So, obviously, that’s the standard that they’re happy with,” Cummins said.

Turning to the case of Konstas, Cummins expressed his admiration for the young player’s approach.

“I think, in regards to Sam, you know, I think he’s, I’ve been really impressed with how he’s gone about it. I think people mistake a bit of confidence with bullying or abuse. You know, he’s, you’re allowed to walk around with your shoulders puffed back and play a few cricket shots. I don’t think that’s illegal, but some people really take offence to that and want to kind of put him back in his place,” he added.

Cummins emphasized that the team encourages its players to be true to themselves on the field.

“For us it’s always just, and we say the same to all our players, is just bring yourself every day. You know, be yourself. Go about it how you think represents yourself the best and how you want to play,” Cummins said.

“Yeah, I think he’s been really good this series. He’s stood up for himself when he’s needed to,” he added.

Konstas has earned praise for his resilience and maturity, standing his ground amidst challenges while adhering to the team’s ethos of authenticity.

Coming to the SCG Test, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries.

However, the fight by Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs.

Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37.

In their first innings, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals even when Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) walked off the field due to an injury scare. Under the stand-in skipper Virat, India continued to dominate the Aussies, skittling them out for just 181 runs and taking a four-run lead. Debutant Beau Webster (57 in 105 balls, with five fours) had a fine showing with the bat and Steve Smith (33 in 57 balls, with four boundaries and a six) showed some attacking intent.

Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were the top bowlers for India.

With a lead of four runs, India was off to a promising start thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (13) as they put on a 45-run stand. But Boland (6/45) troubled the Indian batting once again. Pant did put up a counter-attack with 61 in 33 balls (six fours and four sixes), but India was bundled out for 157 runs, setting up 162 for the Aussies to win. Bumrah could not bowl in the final innings.

Australia was in trouble for a while during chase of 162 runs at 58/3, but knocks from Usman Khawaja (41 in 45 balls, with four boundaries), Travis Head (34* in 38 balls, with four boundaries) and Webster (39* in 34 balls, with six fours) guided the team to a six-wicket win, despite fight put up by Prasidh Krishna (3/65).

Boland was the ‘Player of the Match’ for his 10-wicket haul while Bumrah walked away with the ‘Player of the Series’ award with 32 wickets.